Dichondra Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Ponysfoot”
Contents
What is Dichondra Silver Falls ?
Dichondra Argentea is the scientific name while Silver Falls is the common name of this plant and it is a variation of Dichondra micrantha which was once very popular but also prone to getting affected by flea bettles. Dichondra plant is native to Mexico and West Texas and is also known as silver nickel vine or silver ponyfoot. Dichondra Argentea is called silver falls because of its leaves which are unique becaue of their silvery pale green color which can look metallic inteerstingly its flowers are not so noticeable. When planted in gardens it looks like a cascading silvery wave flowing through while when planted in pots or containers it looks like a cascading silver waterfall. Dichondra leaves look like small lily pads and are small and rounded and are held on plants which are just 2 inches tall.
Dichondra Silver Falls zone
Silver falls is a perennial plant which is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11 in outdoor conditions. It can handle temperatures above freezing point but it can not handle frosts and will die in frost if left outdoors. In outdoors zone 10 and warmer conditions you can grow it as a groundcover as a perennial but it also doesn’t do well in rainy areas.
How to Grow & Care for Dichondra silver falls indoor
Dichondra Silver falls does well indoors as a houseplant in containers and you can plant it either alone or combine it with brightly coloured flowers or green foilage so that it can serve as a contrast. It is used especially as a trailing accent plant to create a cascading waterfall look from containers , window boxes or hanging baskets. Dichondra silver falls indoor care involves planting it in houseplant rich soil but ensure that soil is not too heavy and ensuring that the container used is big and has ample drainage. Hanging basket or container used for Dichondra Silver falls has to be big so that it has room to spread and the placement of the plant should be such so that it can receive sunlight right through the day .
While Growing Dichondra Silver falls indoors Ideally you should plant it indoors in a hanging basket from ceiling or place it in a container on a tall table so that it has space to grow and when it grows you can enjoy its long trailing silver foilage. Weather wise while growing this plant indoors the ideal approach is to keep it indoors during winter in the drier air and frosty conditions and move it back to outdoors so it can take up sunlight during summer months.
Dichondra silver falls Care
Dichondra Silver falls does well with warm and dry growing conditions with full sun and average moisture. Try to provide Dichondra plant with 6 or more hours of direct sunlight and allow the plants to dry out between each watering session especially when the plants are larger as they are sensitive to overwatering. Here are each of the care conditions in detail
Dichondra Silver Falls Watering Requirements
Dichondra needs less water and average moisture so preferably water them once a week and allow the water to dry out between two watering sessions if weather is too hot slightly more watering can be done. Silver falls plant don’t do well with overwatering so underwatering and allowing the water to dry out is important . In case plant starts to wilt they will come back with good watering
Dichondra Silver Falls Temperature Requirements
Dichondra plant is heat and draught tolerant and loves warm and dry conditions with sunlight. Dichondra can also do well in humid climates but is not frost resistant and needs to moved indoors in winters. Dichondra will not do well in rainy climates as it doesn’t like too much water.
Soil Requirements for Silver Ponysfoot
Dichondra plant dows well in sandy and loamy soils but doesn’t like wet soils. When choosing a potting mix for Dichondra plant try to find one with good drainage as that is essential for this plant . Dichondra plant can also be grown in a mixture of coarse soil with a gritty compost.
Sunlight Requirements for Silver Falls Plant
Dichondra plant requires lot of sunlight so try to give it 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. Silver falls plant can do well in partial sunlight also but more is better for dense growth.
Fertilizers for Dichondra Silver Falls
Dichondra plant is usually grown as an annual during warm season outdoors for a few months and so doesn’t usually require fertilizers however if you are growing it indoors as a houseplant than you can use a houseplant fertilizer.
Dichondra silver falls propagation
SIlver falls is a trademark plant variety of Dichondra so propagation is restricted however you can always grow this plant from seeds which are widely available or it can be purchased a as bedding plant.
Dichondra silver falls pruning
Dichondra plant doesn’t require pruning but you can always trim it if you need a more compact plant.
Winter care: How do you overwinter Dichondra Silver Falls?
During winters you can bring the Dichondra plant indoors and set it in bright light the process is also known as overwintering. The only requirements are that the soil for indoors should be lightweight and the plant whould be allowed to dry out during waterings.
Growing Dichondra Silver Falls from seed
Dichondra Argentea can be grown from seed either in a seed tray or by planting them into the ground directly. When planting ensure that you start the process indoors at least 12 weeks before frost ends. You have to ensure that the seeds are covered and the soil is kept moist untill seedlings show up .
- Before Planting ensure that you have prepared loamy acidic soil as the seedbed if planting outdoors or use a seed tray with a good but not heavy potting soil.
- Try to ensure that the temperatures are warm ideally 70 to 75 degree farenheit and the soil is kept moist and you will start seeing seeds germinate in two weeks.
- At 7 to 8 weeks when you start seeing true leaves you should transplant it to larger containers.
- The More sunlight you provide the growing plant more silvery leaves you will able to see amongst its foilage.
Dichondra Silver Falls Companion Plants & Garden Designs Ideas
Good Companion Plants for Dichondra include Angel Mist Angelonia ,Persian Shield ,Tidal Wave Petunia, ‘Duckfoot’ coleus, petunias, Lavenders flowers ,ivy geranium , Dragon Wing begonia and lobelia. As it is a sliver plant good color combinations with it include blue , purple and pink foilage and flowers. A Sophisticated Garden Design idea including Dichondra would be combining it with lavdener flowers having pale pink and white colours. A colourful garden design having Dichondra would be combining it with Purple Knight’ alternanthera. You can also design a garden with black sweet potato vines , dichondra and chartreuse making an all foilage design mixture.